I was extremely saddened to hear the news that former Idaho congressman (the way she preferred to be addressed) Helen Chenoweth had recently been killed in an automobile accident. She was 68. With her passing, America lost a great statesman and patriot.
Helen was part of that great freshman class of 1995 when conservative
Republicans took over the House of Representatives. It was a short run, but
the ‘95 freshmen such as Chenoweth, Joe Scarborough, Steve Largent, Bob
Barr, and others for a moment, at least, seriously shook the timbers of an
entrenched Washington establishment. However, thanks to insiders such as
Newt Gingrich and Trent Lott, establishment politicians quickly recovered,
and there really has not been a conservative class in Congress since.
However, Chenoweth and her tribe deserve credit for a valiant effort.
Now, Helen Chenoweth becomes the second ‘95 class member to die an untimely
death. As we know, Sonny Bono was killed in a skiing accident a few years
ago.
I was never privileged to personally meet Helen, but we did correspond via
email. She was a regular reader of this column and would sometimes write to
express her appreciation for what I had written. To me, Helen Chenoweth was
a champion, and I felt honored just to know that she would take time to read
my columns.
Helen and I were not of the same faith, but we were of the same spirit. We
shared a deep affection for America’s founding principles. This was an
affection that Helen never lost.
Helen Chenoweth was a constitutionalist. As a member of the House of
Representatives, she took her oath to the Constitution seriously. Obviously,
this put her at odds with many in Washington, D.C., including many within
her own party.
However, to Helen Chenoweth, the only thing that mattered was her duty to
the Constitution and to the American people. She was as tough as she was
tender. Her commitment and fidelity to constitutional government were
unshakeable. As with so many in that great freshman class of ‘95, she was as
out of place in Washington, D.C., as the proverbial fish out of water.
Have you noticed that most of the ‘95 freshman class did not stay in
Washington very long? In Helen’s case, she term-limited herself and did not
run for Congress after serving three terms in the House. But to those of us
who labored, even in a small way, to help elect that great freshman class of
1995, the efforts of Helen Chenoweth and her compatriots will never be
forgotten.
I’m confident that Helen’s family could fill volumes with accolades and
praises for her many personal and private virtues that only those close to
her were honored to share. However, those of us who only knew her from afar,
but who shared her commitment to constitutional government, will long
remember and cherish the memory of a truly great American, the dear and
wonderful Helen Chenoweth.
